Countdown to School

We're getting ready for school to start around here! This is my last week to prep, and I've been working doing my best to TRY and be as prepared as possible. Always so many things I didnt have time to get to, but toay I looked over my list of "summer projects" and was suprosed that I was actually able to accomplish more than I thought I had! It was a good reminder.

So here is our room where we do school. No, its not neat and tidy for my photo, but thats because i thought it was better to show it as it usually is.... that and the fact that this is what it actually looked like when i had a free sec to actually take a photo and download it to my computer! So, this is what you get! Can you see Cori's little animal train of 2xs walking to the ark? its just off shot to the right....

You can see Z's desk to the right and T's to the left. Last year I combined them in the center of the room but T asked me to keep them apart this time. So, we'll try it. It will help them each to focus better, but will be a little harder on Mom. It also gives Cori a little more room to play.

This is Ty's desk... with our "schedule" that I am using as a GOAL, a guideline, a framework. I know this cant and wont be followed to a "T" but it will help us all stay on track. This is the first year Ive actually posted this. Its usually in my head, but writing it out an posting it may help us all to stay on target?

Here is Cori's new little spot. Got this desk from a friend at co-op. Its a little too big for her, but she likes it anyways. And, i like that it holds all her coloring an activity books inside!

This is our main board that we will take off and use for spelling lessons daily. I dont have the letter tiles up yet, Ill wait til the weekend for that. But these are our workboxes we use for all our daily work. They are a lifesaver to me!

Here is Tylers basic schedule he follows for the day. He is supposed to do the work in order, taking into account interruptions and moments when mom is unavailable and he just needs to move on to something else.

And this is Zach's scheule. He had one just like Tyler last year, but I mae a new one without the numbers, I use checks instead for 2 main reasons: one, i want him to be more flexible with his work order an the numbers made it hard for him when i was asking him to skip and move ahead until i was ready to help him with something. Also, one of his "rewards" is going to be to skip aroun dand do his work in whatever order he prefers. I know alot of hs'ers who do this all the time- let their kids pick the order and the work, as long as they get it all done. But Z needs a little more help staying on task and being organized. All those executive functioning skills are key! So I'm hoping this will be a more flexible system for him as he gets a little older (4th grade... yikes!) and helps him to work more independantly.

And this is my little workstation- right next door in the kitchen. We have an office, but that proved to be too distant from the kids. I like being in the action, and it makes it easier for us to look up information or access websites during school.

So thats it so far! I'd post photos of my office too, but that would be too scary! Please, pray for me as we start next week!